Wakefield joins strange enterprise after "transfer factor" autism products fail

This page is research from an investigation by Brian Deer for the UK's Channel 4 Television and The Sunday Times of London into a campaign linking the MMR children's vaccine with autism. | Go to part I: The Lancet scandal | Go to part II: The Wakefield factor

Before launching the MMR scare, Andrew Wakefield had filed the first in a string of patent applications for a competitor vaccine, and a remedy for autism, based on a "transfer factor" technology. These didn't work. After leaving the Royal Free hospital in December 2001, he then became "research director" of the "International Child Development Resource Center", based in Melbourne, Florida, run by a Dr Jeff Bradstreet, who has claimed 80% "success" rates with autism "treatments", and runs Open Windows programs

The following are excerpts from an ICDRC presentation to parents, showing a selection of expensive products, such as Sea Buddies, for autistic disorders, sold by the operation. Many are promoted with artfully-phrased, but unsubstantiated, claims, such as that they are "formulated by leading physicians in child neurological development". Statements by Andrew Wakefield on his relationship with this organisation can be found at the foot of this page.

Despite his prominently displayed position as its research director, in February 2005 Dr Wakefield said through lawyers that he had "never derived income" and "has no contractual relationship" with ICDRC. In December 2005, he said in a statement that "he at no time authorised Dr Bradstreet to put his name on the ICDRC website," and that "as a result" of Brian Deer's November 2004 UK television programme, MMR - What they didn't tell you, "he has subsequently requested Dr Bradstreet to remove his name". It was still there in March 2007.